Tornado Watch 277

Issued

May 6, 2003, 6:55 PM CDT (23:55 UTC)

Expired

May 7, 2003, 12:00 AM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:59 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

• Mesoscale Discussion 802May 6, 5:33 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 806May 6, 7:53 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 809May 6, 11:08 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 062351
SEL7  
SPC WW 062355
ARZ000-OKZ000-070500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 277 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
655 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

       WESTERN AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS
       SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT FROM 655 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF HARRISON ARKANSAS
TO 65 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF PAGE OKLAHOMA.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 269...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 273. WATCH NUMBER 269 273
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 655 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 270...WW
271...WW 274...WW 275...WW 276...


DISCUSSION...BROKEN BAND OF SUPERCELLS SHOULD PERSIST FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS WHILE SPREADING EWD FROM OK INTO AR.  THE ENVIRONMENT
ACROSS ERN OK AND WRN AR STILL CONSISTS OF STRONG INSTABILITY
/MLCAPE IN EXCESS OF 3000 J/KG/...0-6 KM SHEAR NEAR 40 KT...0-3 KM
SRH AROUND 200 M2/S2...AND BOUNDARY LAYER DEW POINTS IN THE LOW-MID
70S.  THESE PARAMETERS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SUPERCELLS CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND A COUPLE OF
TORNADOES.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 600.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27025.


...THOMPSON

362,0904 334,0931 334,0964 362,0941

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2003Every tornado watch in 2003

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.